City of Los Angeles voters approved measure HHH in 2016 to facilitate the construction of 10,000 units of permanent supporting housing to address the City’s homeless crises. The City Council followed-up in April 2018 by passing an ordinance which eliminates CEQA review for housing projects up to 120 units and that meet zoning requirements. The […]
A group of California commercial fishing organizations asked the U.S. Supreme Court this week to reverse a Ninth Circuit decision that expands the scope of the “Chevron deference doctrine.” In the 1984 case of Chevron USA Inc. v. NRDC, the Supreme Court ruled that agencies must be given deference in their interpretation of ambiguous statutes […]
In early May, California became the first state in the country to require solar panels on all new homes, in an attempt to aggressively curb greenhouse gas emissions. The California Energy Commission (“CEC”) adopted updates to the state energy code’s building efficiency standards requiring solar photovoltaic systems on newly constructed residential buildings with three stories […]
The state, and several environmental organizations within it, have urged the Ninth Circuit to overturn a lower court that nixed their challenge to the Trump administration’s planned border wall. The appellants argue that the border wall, and all the construction activities that come alongside it, must first undergo environmental impact assessments. The appellate brief argues […]
On Tuesday (5/15/18), the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order vacating an incidental take permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a pipeline project. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline project, backed by Dominion Energy, involves a 600-mile pipeline for natural gas. The proposed route starts in West Virginia and ends in […]
Trump’s White House is seeking to ease restrictions on oil and gas leasing across large swaths of the American West, initially enacted to protect the greater sage grouse in 2015. Interior Department officials say the revision to the 2015 policies aims to increase flexibility on the public lands where the birds reside, not to undo […]
On May 29, a federal judge in California dismissed an environmental group’s lawsuit accusing the U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, of improperly approving a forest-thinning project. The group argued that the project would imperil gray wolves and northern spotted owls; the former is endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act, while […]
May 16, 2018 | Category:
NewsOn May 11, the U.S. Government asked a federal judge in California to toss out suits by Oakland and San Francisco seeking to hold the oil industry liable for climate change-related infrastructure damage. The government argued that the cities’ claims are more rightfully handled by regulators and lawmakers, who should set the climate and energy […]
Last Thursday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) began review of its natural gas pipeline approval policy. FERC’s inquiry seeks information and stakeholder perspectives to help FERC explore whether, and how, it should revise its existing policies regarding review and authorization of natural gas pipelines. FERC’s notice of inquiry cited four major topics where revisions […]
For seven years, a handful of homebuilders offered solar as an optional item to buyers willing to pay extra to go green. Now, California is on the verge of making solar standard on virtually every new home built in the Golden State. The California Energy Commission is scheduled to vote Wednesday, May 9, on new […]
